History of the Flight
On 13 February 2010, a Boeing 737-200 aircraft, registered PK-YTR, operated by PT. Metro Batavia as flight 7P.735, departed from Juanda International Airport (SUB), Surabaya, to Hasanudin International Airport (UPG), Makassar. The flight was planned under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). There were 125 persons on board: two pilots, three flight attendants, and 120 passengers. The pilot in command served as the monitoring pilot, while the copilot was the handling pilot.
The aircraft commenced the takeoff roll on runway 10 at 0235 UTC (0935 local time). Approximately 300 meters after beginning the roll, the left outboard main-wheel tire (number one) exploded. About 1,100 meters further along the runway, the left inboard main-wheel tire (number two) also exploded. Both tires shredded, and the aircraft continued rolling on the wheel rims.
The copilot decided to abort the takeoff and stopped the aircraft near taxiway N6, approximately 350 meters from the departure end of runway 10. The remaining tires (numbers three and four) deflated.
Emergency Declaration and Evacuation
The pilots did not declare an emergency. Passengers disembarked normally from the forward left passenger door using air stairs and were transported by bus to the airport terminal. None of the aircraft’s occupants were injured.
Damage
The left main landing gear tires were destroyed. The aircraft sustained damage from rolling on the wheel rims. Runway 10 also sustained damage.
Investigation
The investigation by the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) is continuing, with a detailed examination of the left main wheel assemblies planned.